This invention relates generally to the field of Digital Television (DTV), also referred to as Advanced Television (ATV). More particularly, in certain preferred embodiments, this invention relates to a method and system for tuning an ATSC (the Federal Communication Commission""s Advanced Television Systems Committee) compliant digital television for both PSIP (the ATSC""s Program System Information Protocol) and MPEG 2 (Moving Picture Expert Group version 2 ) digital video broadcast format video.
In the United States, digital television signals can be broadcast using either of two technical standards. The first is MPEG 2 which is mandatory. The second is PSIP which is an optional standard that supports enhanced features. The PSIP standard provides the ability to associate multiple channel frequencies with a single broadcaster for display in the channel guide. The MPEG 2 digital video broadcast standard provides no such capability. For MPEG 2the major channel displayed in the program guide corresponds directly with the physical channel number (frequency) used to broadcast the digital television signal. For PSIP broadcasts, programming can be broadcast on multiple frequencies yet displayed as a collection of major and minor channels in the program guide for ease of selection by the user. That is, for PSIP, a virtual channel number can represent the physical channel carrying the broadcast whereas in MPEG 2, the concept of a virtual channel does not existxe2x80x94the major channel number is always the physical channel number associated with a broadcast frequency.
These two differing standards create a challenge for design of the digital television receiver. Since each format PSIP and MPEG uses its own Program Specific Information tables as defined in the respective specifications, the television receiver device must be able to distinguish between the two formats and use the Program Specific Information so that the receiver can receive both the PSIP and MPEG standard program formats in a manner which is transparent to the user.
The present invention relates generally to digital television. Objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention.
In one embodiment consistent with the present invention a method of tuning a digital television receiver includes receiving a command to tune to a major channel and a minor channel; determining whether the major channel is PSIP compliant, and if so: looking up a TSID corresponding to the major channel; looking up a physical channel corresponding to the TSID; tuning a tuner to the physical channel; and determining if the physical channel carries the major and minor channel, and if so, remaining tuned to the physical channel.
In another embodiment consistent with the present invention, a method of storing channel information in a digital television receiver, includes tuning to a selected physical channel; reading Program Specific Information on the selected physical channel; storing an indication of whether the physical channel is a PSIP compliant channel; if the selected physical channel is a PSIP compliant channel: storing a TSID corresponding to the selected physical channel; and storing a major channel corresponding to the selected physical channel.
In another embodiment consistent with the present invention, a method of autoprogramming channel information in a digital television receiver, includes for each of a plurality of N physical channels: tuning to a selected physical channel; reading Program Specific Information on the selected physical channel; storing an indication of whether the physical channel is a PSIP compliant channel; if the selected physical channel is a compliant PSIP channel: storing a TSID corresponding to the selected physical channel; and storing a major channel corresponding to the selected physical channel.
A device for tuning a digital television receiver consistent with another embodiment of the present invention includes a control module. A user module provides an interface to a user and sends commands to the control module to select a major and minor television channel. A tuner tunes to physical channels and produces a digital transport stream of packets. A database stores Program Specific Information from a currently tuned physical channel. A demultiplexer receives the transport stream and produces a demultiplexed data stream representing a tuned television channel. The control module includes program for: determining whether the major channel is PSIP compliant, and if so: looking up a TSID corresponding to the major channel; looking up a physical channel corresponding to the TSID; tuning a tuner to the physical channel; and determining if the physical channel carries the major and minor channel, and if so, remaining tuned to the physical channel.